Pandora pads podcast lineup by adding 'This American Life'

Pandora was the "exclusive streaming partner" for season 2 of the popular Serial podcast, despite the show being available through iTunes and other apps. Now, the internet radio service is adding another popular podcast from the creators of that investigative title. Hosted by Ira Glass, This American Life will debut new episodes on Pandora every Monday, available through its Android, iOS and web apps. The company says Serial's first two seasons were streamed over 15 million times, so there's clearly some interest in content other than stations that compile a playlist based on your preferences.

Pandora picked up what was left of Rdio last year when the streaming service shut down after filing bankruptcy. While no official announcement of a full-on streaming option from Pandora has been made, it's likely on the way. By adding podcasts, albeit only two of them, to its lineup, it looks like a library of the episodic content could be part of the company's plans for that service. Spotify added both video and audio podcasts last year, padding its slate of streaming content that already included a la carte music and Pandora-like radio stations. Google recently added podcasts to Play Music, too.

If you aren't familiar with This American Life, the Pandora station is already live with past episodes, so you can introduce yourself while you wait for new shows to arrive. There's no mention of exclusivity this time around, so you should be able to enjoy the show elsewhere if you prefer to do so.